The Status of Preventive Behaviors regarding Influenza (A) H1N1 Pandemic Based on Protection Motivation Theory among Female High School Students in Isfahan in Iran

Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic is recently threatening the health of world's population. Non-pharmaceutical measures are important to prevent the spread of influenza A (H1N1) and to prevent a pandemic. Effective influenza pandemic management requires understanding of the factors influencing preventive behavioral changes. This study determined the status of preventive behaviors regarding H1N1 (swine) influenza pandemic based on protection motivation theory (PMT) among female high school students in Isfahan. In a cross-sectional survey, multiple-stage randomized sampling was used to select 300 female students in Isfahan who completed a questionnaire during December 2009. The questionnaire was developed by the researchers based on PMT. The obtained data was analyzed using descriptive and deductive statistics in SPSS 14. The mean age of participants was 15.62 (SE = 1.1) years. A majority of participants were informed regarding H1N1 (swine) influenza pandemic (87.3%, 262 out of 300). There were significant positive correlations between preventive behaviors and perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and self-efficacy (P < 0.01). PMT's coping appraisal component of self-efficacy and response efficacy, and PMT's threat appraisal variables of perceived sensitivity and perceived severity had a significant positive relation with preventive behavior and predicted 11% of the behavior. A high perceived threat of influenza A was found in this research. Therefore, public health educators and planners are required to implement pandemic prevention interventions. In addition, since mass media was reported as the major information source, new policies must be developed to improve the knowledge of students by different and more scientific information sources.